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A prolonged US government shutdown could impact your travel plans

WASHINGTON (AP) — If a U.S. government shutdown goes on long enough, it could throw a wrench in travel plans, potentially leading to longer airport wait times, flight delays and even cancellations.

The shutdown began Wednesday after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to reach a deal to continue funding government services and operations. That means a vast majority of employees who keep U.S. airports and air travel running are working without pay until the government reopens.

“The longer a shutdown drags on, the more likely we are to see longer TSA lines, flight delays and cancellations, national parks in disrepair and unnecessary delays in modernizing travel infrastructure,” Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, warned in a statement.

Here’s what to know about the shutdown and its potential impacts on your travel plans.

Flying during a shutdown

Travelers can still fly despite the lapse in funding, and early on in the shutdown, they might not even notice any issues at the airport.

Control towers and airport security checkpoints will still be staffed, with about 13,200 air traffic controllers and more than 61,000 Transportation Security Administration employees expected to remain on the job.

But as more time passes for the workers since their last paycheck, travelers could start to see longer lines at security and flight interruptions, said Jeffrey Price, professor of aviation at the Metropolitan State University of Denver.

“The system does become a little bit more brittle, and the longer this goes, the more the traveler is going to notice it,” Price said.

That’s what happened in 2018 and 2019, when Trump led the country into its longest shutdown ever for 35 days during his first term.

About three weeks into that shutdown, some unpaid security screeners started calling in sick, and air traffic controllers sued the government in a bid to get their paychecks. Miami International Airport had to temporarily close one of its terminals because TSA officers were calling in sick at twice the airport’s usual rate.

The latest shutdown is unfolding at a time when both the TSA and the Federal Aviation Administration are already facing staffing shortages, including a shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers.

If the system can’t handle the number of flights that are scheduled, the FAA will slow down landings and take offs and passengers will see more delays and cancellations.

Safety at airports and in the air

Nick Daniels, president of the union that represents air traffic controllers, said a shutdown weakens the aviation safety system by adding stress on controllers and taking away many of the workers who support them and maintain the outdated system they rely on.

“They’re out there working right now with critical staffing — the lowest staffing we’ve had in decades of only 10,800, where there should be 14,633. And on top of that, they’re working with unreliable equipment,” Daniels said.

During the 35-day shutdown during Trump’s first term, controllers in the busiest U.S. air traffic facilities reported working as much as 60 hours per week, and an increasing number of TSA agents also quit their jobs.

“This is more than just an inconvenience to the traveler,” Price said of the shutdown. “This is definitely going to bring up safety and security issues, if it really starts to go into the long term.”

Travel by train

Amtrak says its passengers trains will continue running. It operates more than 300 trains daily in 46 states, the D.C. area and three Canadian provinces.

In a statement, the country’s rail operator said that passengers planning to travel on its trains “in the coming days and weeks can be assured that Amtrak will remain open for business.”

International travel into the U.S.

Ports of entry into the country are expected to stay open for international travelers, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s contingency plan.

The department estimated that about 63,000 workers at Customs and Border Protection would still report to work. They include employees who are responsible for protecting the country’s borders and monitoring traffic coming into the U.S. at official border crossings, like airports and land crossings from Canada and Mexico.

Passports and visas

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency responsible for overseeing the naturalization process, is primarily funded by application fees, meaning a lapse in funding at the federal government has minimal impacts on most passport and visa processing.

Agency spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said in a statement, however, that the shutdown does temporarily shutter the agency’s E-Verify program, a free online system that employers can use to confirm their new employees are authorized to work in the U.S.

Museums and national parks

Smithsonian museums, research centers and the National Zoo were scheduled to stay open to the public through at least Oct. 6. Further updates will be posted on the Smithsonian website.

The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum complex, with 17 museums and its zoo located in the Washington, D.C. area, as well as two museums in New York City.

National Parks will remain mostly open during the shutdown.

The National Park Service’s contingency plan says park roads, lookouts, trails and open-air memorials will “generally remain accessible to visitors.” But parks without ”accessible areas” will be closed, and additional sites could shutter if damage is done to park resources or garbage builds up during the shutdown.

The park service oversees 400 sites, including large national parks such as Yellowstone and Grand Canyon, national battlefields and national monuments like the Statue of Liberty.

Iowa Senate leader says pipeline issue’s not going away

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Senate’s new Majority Leader says the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline was “front and center” in conversations he had with his fellow Senate Republicans before they elected him as leader two weeks ago.

“We have moved forward on a whole level of other issues — education, taxation — and we’ve done that as a team,” Senate Majority Leader Mike Klimesh told Radio Iowa this afternoon. “This is a disagreement that we had, but I really believe that continuing the conversation is of the utmost importance to finding a solution.”

In May, 13 of the 34 Republicans in the Iowa Senate joined with Democrats in voting for new restrictions for carbon pipelines and other utility projects, but Governor Reynolds vetoed the bill in June. “The issue’s not going away, obviously,” Klimesh said.

Klimesh said the key is setting the rift aside and finding some sort of common ground. “Remembering how successful we’ve been when we’re together,” Klimesh said, “and to rebuild that internally.”

Klimesh said he honed conflict resolution skills while serving as Spillville’s mayor, off and on, for a total of 20 years. “Navigated Spillville through two of its largest floods. I was able to work with the county and the state and rebuild some bridges, do some infrastructure improvements, bought out four homes that had been flooded numerous times and the last time they were flooded, of course, it would have required them to rebuild a foot above the 100 year mark, which I would have had four homes on stilts,” Klimesh says. “And the most important thing you learn is when you have issues like that is people want to get back to normal and they want to get back to normal as fast as they can.”

Klimesh is a native of Spillville. After an injury ended Klimesh’s days playing football at Luther College, he got interested in radio, hosted a Saturday night classic rock show on the college station and wound up working at KCHA in Charles City. “My very first job out of college was working for Jim Hebel…and his claim to fame was he stuttered unless he was on the radio and I worked for him for about a year — on air, did play-by-play, sold advertising. You know small town radio, you do everything, right? You’re the guy talking, you’re the guy out knocking on doors,” Klimesh said. “…From there I worked at Featherlite’s corporate offices for about two years.”

Featherlite was the first manufacturer to make all-aluminum trailers to tow things like livestock and vehicles. Klimesh moved on and was the long-time plant manager of Graphics, Incorporated, in Calmar. The business, which had a printing press for small town newspapers for years, is now focused on digital printing. Klimesh said since he was in sales for so many years, he actually “loves” campaign fundraising and that’s part of his new job “to advance the priorities” of Senate Republicans.

“I’ll work as hard as I can every day. Not having a business to run anymore or a day job, it gives me unlimited time to put towards this job, which I think is necessary,” Klimesh said. “I think you need to be able to dedicate as much time as you can to working for Iowa and Iowans.”

Klimesh, who is 56, was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2020.

Ottumwa’s Trick or Treat Night Set for Oct 31

OTTUMWA — The Ottumwa Police Department has announced that Trick or Treat Night is set for 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, October 31, 2025. If a Trick-or-Treater and/or Homeowner is feeling ill please do not participate.      

Parents are encouraged to dress their children in reflective clothing and consider non-toxic makeup and decorative hats as safer alternatives to masks, which can limit or block eyesight. Parents should also plan and review with their children the route and neighborhoods to go to and agree on a specific time when children must return home. A parent or responsible adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds. 

Homeowners should take extra effort to eliminate tripping hazards on their porch and walkway. Rather than utilizing candles or other real flames, homeowners should consider using battery powered jack-o’-lantern lights. If a person chooses to use real candles, then pumpkins should be placed well away from trick-or-treaters and the person should make sure paper or cloth decorations won’t be blown into the flame.

Trick-or-treaters are reminded that they should never eat any treats until they are thoroughly checked by an adult. Additionally, they should be sure their parents know where they are going, only go to homes with a porch light on, remain on well-lit streets, always use the sidewalk, and obey all traffic and pedestrian regulations. Trick-or-treaters should never assume the right of way on streets as motorists may have trouble seeing them.     

Motorists are asked to drive slow and watch closely for children running in the street.

Rollover Accident Near Eldon Results in Fatality

ELDON – A single-vehicle rollover accident near Eldon yesterday afternoon claimed the life of an individual.

The Wapello County Sheriff’s Office says that they received multiple 911 calls reporting the accident at around 4:19pm. The crash occurred on Highway 34 near exit 199.

First responders arrived on scene and determined it was a single-vehicle rollover crash involving one occupant. Despite lifesaving efforts, the individual was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Authorities say they are withholding the name of the deceased out of respect for family and friends at this time.

The Wapello County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the accident and may release more details as the investigation progresses. They were assisted at the scene by ORMICS, Batavia Fire and Rescue, and the Jefferson County Ambulance Service.

Government headed to a shutdown after last-ditch vote fails in Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats have voted down a Republican bill to keep funding the government, putting it on a near certain path to a shutdown after midnight Wednesday for the first time in nearly seven years.

The Senate rejected the legislation as Democrats are making good on their threat to close the government if President Donald Trump and Republicans won’t accede to their health care demands. The 55-45 vote on a bill to extend federal funding for seven weeks fell short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster and pass the legislation.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Republicans are trying to “bully” Democrats by refusing to negotiate on an extension of expanded Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire at the end of the year.

“We hope they sit down with us and talk,” Schumer said after the vote. “Otherwise, it’s the Republicans will be driving us straight towards a shutdown tonight at midnight. The American people will blame them for bringing the federal government to a halt.”

The failure of Congress to keep the government open means that hundreds of thousands of federal workers could be furloughed or laid off. After the vote, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget issued a memo saying “affected agencies should now execute their plans for an orderly shutdown.”

Threatening retribution to Democrats, Trump said Tuesday that a shutdown could include “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”

Trump and his fellow Republicans said they won’t entertain any changes to the legislation, arguing that it’s a stripped-down, “clean” bill that should be noncontroversial. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said “we can reopen it tomorrow” if enough Democrats break party lines.

The last shutdown was in Trump’s first term, from December 2018 to January 2019, when he demanded that Congress give him money for his U.S.-Mexico border wall. Trump retreated after 35 days — the longest shutdown ever — amid intensifying airport delays and missed paydays for federal workers.

Democrats take a stand against Trump, with exceptions

While partisan stalemates over government spending are a frequent occurrence in Washington, the current impasse comes as Democrats see a rare opportunity to use their leverage to achieve policy goals and as their base voters are spoiling for a fight with Trump. Republicans who hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate needed at least eight votes from Democrats after Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky opposed the bill.

Democratic Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine voted with Republicans to keep the government open — giving Republicans hope that there might be five more who will eventually come around and help end a shutdown.

After the vote, King warned against “permanent damage” as Trump and his administration have threatened mass layoffs.

“Instead of fighting Trump we’re actually empowering him, which is what finally drove my decision,” King said.

Thune predicted Democratic support for the GOP bill will increase “when they realize that this is playing a losing hand.”

Shutdown preparations begin

The stakes are huge for federal workers across the country as the White House told agencies last week that they should consider “a reduction in force” for many federal programs if the government shuts down. That means that workers who are not deemed essential could be fired instead of just furloughed.

Either way, most would not get paid. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated in a letter to Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst on Tuesday that around 750,000 federal workers could be furloughed each day once a shutdown begins.

Federal agencies were already preparing. On the home page of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a large pop up ad reads, “The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people.”

Democrats’ health care asks

Democrats want to negotiate an extension of the health subsidies immediately as people are beginning to receive notices of premium increases for the next year. Millions of people who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act could face higher costs as expanded subsidies first put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic expire.

Democrats have also demanded that Republicans reverse the Medicaid cuts that were enacted as a part of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” this summer and for the White House to promise it will not move to rescind spending passed by Congress.

“We are not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of everyday Americans,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.

Thune pressed Democrats to vote for the funding bill and take up the debate on tax credits later. Some Republicans are open to extending the tax credits, but many are strongly opposed to it.

In rare, pointed back-and-forth with Schumer on the Senate floor Tuesday morning, Thune said Republicans “are happy to fix the ACA issue” and have offered to negotiate with Democrats — if they will vote to keep the government open until Nov. 21.

A critical, and unusual, vote for Democrats

Democrats are in an uncomfortable position for a party that has long denounced shutdowns as pointless and destructive, and it’s unclear how or when a shutdown will end. But party activists and lawmakers have argued that Democrats need to do something to stand up to Trump.

“The level of appeasement that Trump demands never ends,” said Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. “We’ve seen that with universities, with law firms, with prosecutors. So is there a point where you just have to stand up to him? I think there is.”

Some groups called for Schumer’s resignation in March after he and nine other Democrats voted to break a filibuster and allow a Republican-led funding bill to advance to a final vote.

Schumer said then that he voted to keep the government open because a shutdown would have made things worse as Trump’s administration was slashing government jobs. He says things have now changed, including the passage this summer of the massive GOP tax cut bill that reduced Medicaid.

Trump’s role in negotiations

A bipartisan meeting at the White House on Monday was Trump’s first with all four leaders in Congress since retaking the White House for his second term. Schumer said the group “had candid, frank discussions” about health care.

But Trump did not appear to be ready for serious talks. Hours later, he posted a fake video of Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries taken from footage of their real press conference outside of the White House after the meeting. In the altered video, a voiceover that sounds like Schumer’s voice makes fun of Democrats and Jeffries stands beside him with a cartoon sombrero and mustache. Mexican music plays in the background.

At a news conference on the Capitol steps Tuesday morning, Jeffries said it was a “racist and fake AI video.”

Schumer said that less than a day before a shutdown, Trump was trolling on the internet “like a 10-year-old.”

“It’s only the president who can do this,” Schumer said. “We know he runs the show here.”

Des Moines superintendent resigns after immigration arrest

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

The superintendent who’s in a western Iowa jail after being arrested by immigration agents last Friday is fighting a deportation order, but not his dismissal from Des Moines public schools.

Alfredo Parrish, the lead attorney working on Ian Roberts’ immigration case, held a midday news conference. “We will today be sending a letter to the Des Moines School Board, authorized by Dr. Roberts, to resign his position,” Parrish told reporters.

The Des Moines school board had given Roberts until noon today to provide documents proving he is eligible to work in the U.S. or he’d be fired. In the letter announcing his immediate resignation, Roberts said he did not want to distract “the Board, educators and staff from focusing on educating the district’s students.”

Parrish said he’d been speaking with Roberts this morning and his client’s spirits were high. “We want you to know that Dr. Roberts’ greatest concern is about his students who he actually loved and the students who love him back and his staff,” Parrish said.

In May of 2024, a federal judge issued a deportation order for Roberts and an appeal to reopen his case was rejected earlier this year. Roberts thought “everything was O.K. and his case was resolved” in April, according to Parrish. “Dr. Roberts had a prior attorney,” Parrish told reporters. “This prior attorney was in Texas…I’m going to share a letter that was received from the prior attorney, telling (Roberts) his case had been closed successfully, and (Roberts) was under the impression that it had been.”

The letter released to the media today from a partner in a Pasadena, Texas, law firm indicated the case had “reached a successful resolution.” Parrish said Roberts’ new legal team has filed a motion to block the deportation of Roberts and they will be seeking to reopen Roberts’ immigration case. Parrish was asked why Roberts claimed to be a U.S. citizen and presented a Social Security card when he was filling out the paperwork to be paid by Des Moines Schools.

“Both of those things I’m able to respond to,” Parrish told reporters, “but quite frankly I don’t want to respond at this point — but as you may or may not know certain people coming into this country are entitled to get a Social Security number. We’ve thoroughly checked that out. That’s not our concern at the moment.”

During the 22-minute-long news conference, Parrish confirmed Roberts was born in Guyana in 1970, but declined to say whether Roberts was a U.S. citizen or if he was authorized to work in the U.S. Parrish says Roberts’ lawyers have not had access to their client’s immigration file. “Some questions we will not be able to answer,” Parrish said. “It’s only because we’re not going to get into the merits of this case yet because we’re simply just not prepared in four days to do that.”

Parrish indicated the case had been “juggling through” the court system for several years and it does not appear President Trump had any role in pressing for Roberts’ arrest.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced shortly after the news conference that it had opened an investigation of Des Moines Public Schools to determine if it has race-based employment practices. “DEI initiatives and race-based hiring preferences in our schools violate federal anti-discrimination laws and undermine educational priorities,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in the news release. “School districts must cease these unlawful programs and restore merit-based employment practices for the benefit of both students and employees.”

Stay safe this harvest season

DES MOINES — As fall harvest starts across Iowa, the risk of wildfires in crop fields increases.  Parts of Iowa are seeing dry conditions with the risk of relative humidities dropping to dangerous levels for wildfires and ignition sources in the fields.  Ready to harvest standing crops contain very low moistures, creating fuels that are receptive to ignition and at risk of rapid rates of fire spread.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages farmers to get reacquainted with fire prevention practices to keep your farm ‘firewise.’ The following simple steps for a safer harvest can save time and money.

  • Properly prepare machinery to reduce the chance of a field fire from an overheated bearing (check the manufacturer’s recommendations). A spark from an improperly lubricated combine can instantaneously ignite dry plants and field debris.
    Check that all fire extinguishers carried on the machinery are fully charged with loose powder inside. If the powder is not loose, remove the extinguisher from its bracket then thump the canister with a rubber hammer until the powder moves when shaken.
    Make sure the size of the extinguisher is appropriate for the size of the machinery. You may need larger and/or additional extinguishers. Also make sure you have the correct extinguisher for the type of fire to be extinguished. There are two types of extinguishers, the powder extinguisher for electrical and petroleum-based fires and the water extinguisher for vegetative fires. You may need to carry both kinds of extinguishers.
  • Keep equipment clean. Check and remove combustible harvest debris from motors, exhausts, ledges and brackets several times a day. A portable gas-powered leaf blower is great for blowing debris from the various surfaces of the combine.
  • Service grain storage and drying equipment. Storage facilities are like your bank vault. Protect their contents by properly servicing all bearings, belts, motors and drags. Dryers frequently cause fires; have a qualified service technician perform the necessary maintenance before drying grain. Keep weeds mowed around the facilities to discourage a fire from spreading. All extinguishers should be handy, fully charged, and the proper size and type for the area.
  • Turn off interior lighting in overfilled bins. A grain fire will start if the grain surrounds the bulb. Turn off the light’s breaker to avoid accidentally turning the light on. This also applies to hay storage facilities.
  • Handle hay properly. Improper hay storage commonly causes or complicates farm fires. Preventative measures greatly reduce this risk.
    Planning proper hay storage is crucial. Store hay away from combustibles such as gasoline, fertilizers and pesticides, as well as open burning areas like burn barrels, brush piles and vegetative burning. Arrange round bales in groups of 10 or fewer and place at least 100 feet away from structures. Leave 30 feet of mowed grass, bare ground or rock between the bale groups, creating a solid fire break.
    Many hay fires occur by spontaneous combustion of moist hay, usually within six weeks after baling. Plan to bale hay at its driest stage and do not bale in the morning dew or too soon after a rain.
    Check stored hay frequently for hot hay or an internal hay fire. Be aware of a caramel or strong burning odor, a visible vapor or smoke, a strong musty smell, and/or hay that is hot when touched. If any of these occur, call the fire department immediately and do not move the hay. Moving it exposes overheated or smoldering hay to oxygen, speeding the fire.
  • When tilling in the fall, till a 30 foot break around building sites, remote bin sites and outside storage facilities to minimize fire spread, and around fields if there is excess fine fuels in the area. Remove weeds and other combustibles around structures and stored equipment.
  • If a fire occurs, remain calm, call 911 immediately. Provide clear, concise directions to your location. Many field and bin sites do not have 911 addresses, so be prepared to identify an intersection or landmark to direct responders.

To help control field fires until firefighters arrive, remain calm and act swiftly. Quickly disk a fire break approximately 15 feet wide around the fire. Be cautious when doing this as smoke will starve and stall a motor and will make hazards and bystanders difficult to see. To assist with a structural fire, make sure there are no flammable objects nearby and if the circuit panel is safely accessible, turn off the building’s electricity. If time allows, evacuate any livestock to a distant pasture. If possible, spray high-pressure water on any surrounding vegetation or structures, discouraging spreading embers. Do not take risks.

After using any equipment to fight a fire, check air filters, ledges, nooks and crannies for burning debris. For more detailed information, visit www.iowadnr.gov/fire.

Man Charged for Firing Weapon into Occupied Bar in Ottumwa

OTTUMWA – A Libertyville man is facing multiple felony charges after authorities say he fired a gun into a building in Ottumwa during an altercation.

According to court records, the incident took place shortly after midnight on Saturday when 43-year-old Joseph Benner allegedly got into an argument in a parking lot on the 600 block of Church Street. Police say Benner was carrying a firearm and fired multiple rounds into an occupied bar. Benner allegedly admitted to police later that night that he had fired the weapon in an attempt to scare patrons of the bar.

Court documents state that Benner displayed bloodshot, watery eyes, in addition to slurred speech and unsteady balance. He was also observed to have an alcoholic odor on his person. He consented to a preliminary breath test, which reportedly yielded a 0.151.

Authorities say Benner has a prior felony conviction from Illinois, where he was convicted of felony sexual assault, as well as sex offender registry violations.

Benner was ultimately arrested and charged with intimidation with a dangerous weapon (class C felony), as well as dominion/control of a firearm by a felon (class D felony), reckless use of a firearm (aggravated misdemeanor), and possession or carrying of a dangerous weapon while under the influence (serious misdemeanor). He was transported to the Wapello County Jail, where he was later released after posting a $15,000 bond.

How Electronic Arts’ $55 billion go-private deal could impact the video game industry

NEW YORK (AP) — In what could become the largest-ever buyout funded by private equity, video game maker Electronic Arts has agreed to be acquired in a deal valued at $55 billion.

Beyond the potentially record-breaking price tag, the deal could bring wider shifts in the gaming world. Electronic Arts (EA) owns popular titles like Madden NFL, Battlefield and The Sims — and going private could potentially grant the company more freedom in developing and distributing future games. Still, what its future under new ownership could look like has yet to be seen.

The proposed buyout also marks the latest move from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF to invest in gaming. If the transaction gets the green light, PIF would join Silver Lake Partners and Affinity Partners, run by U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, as EA’s new owners. The companies aim to close the all-cash acquisition by the first quarter of 2027.

Here’s what we know.

Why is EA an attractive takeover target?

The size of the video game market has attracted significant investment from large investors in recent years. And analysts note that Redwood City, California-based EA brand and lineup of titles make it a popular acquisition target.

The proposed acquisition also arrives as competition grows. One of EA’s biggest rivals, Activision Blizzard, was snapped up by technology powerhouse Microsoft for nearly $69 billion in 2023, for example, while the competition from mobile video game makers such as Epic Games has intensified.

PIF, Silver Lake and Affinity’s combined offer to acquire EA far exceeds the $32 billion price tag to take Texas utility TXU private in 2007, which had previously shattered records for leveraged buyouts. A leveraged buyout means a company is purchased largely using borrowed funds, and requires the acquired company to repay the debt taken on to finance the deal.

Could going private give EA more business advantages?

It’s possible that the deal could give EA more freedom in future development and distribution of its games.

By going private, EA will be able to retool operations without worrying about shareholder interest or other market scrutiny. As a result, EA could get “a little bit more breathing room to do what they do,” explains Joost van Dreunen, a longtime games industry researcher and adjunct assistant professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Theoretically, that could “result in more or better games,” adds Ben Schneider, a professor of practice in the Interactive Media and Game Development program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. But at the same time, he notes, “gamers are generally not enthralled with corporate owners influencing how game makers make their games, to say the least.”

EA has recently faced criticism for moves toward live-service gaming — which features a continuous stream of new content often aimed to keep players online longer — and other monetization efforts that have been seen as aggressive among some gamers.

Experts like van Dreunen, who is also CEO of market research firm Aldora, say a hope is that the extra capital from privatization might allow EA “to take this foot off the gas from aggressive microtransaction strategies.”

Still, time will tell. EA’s proposed buyers haven’t indicated any plans to part from those models. In Monday’s announcement, company executives just pointed broadly to coming growth.

“Looking ahead, we will continue to push the boundaries of entertainment, sports, and technology, unlocking new opportunities,” Andrew Wilson, CEO of EA, who will continue to stay in the top seat if the go-private deal goes through.

Meanwhile, some analysts are skeptical about whether a buyout is the best thing for EA right now — particularly ahead of its “Battlefield 6” launch slated for October 10.

“It is still unclear to us why EA would agree to be acquired right before a very promising BF6 launch,” TD Cowen analysts Doug Creutz and Mei Lun Quach wrote in a Monday note. The analysts had previously pointed to the positive responses “Battlefield 6″ received from players in its testing period — noting that expected revenue could push up EA’s share price even further.

Others have similarly argued that the proposed acquisition price — which divvies up to $210 per share — undervalues what EA has to offer. But Nick McKay of Freedom Capital Markets thinks an increase in share price is likely limited, given the success of EA’s sports offerings being baked into the price, and that the pricing makes sense.

Is a takeover expected to shut down more game studios and lead to layoffs?

After being taken private, formerly public companies often undergo extensive cost-cutting.

EA hasn’t indicated any expected cuts spanning from its proposed buyout at this time, although the company has gone through several layoff rounds recently. After jettisoning about 5% of its workforce in 2024, EA ended March with 14,500 employees and then laid off several hundred people in May.

Experts like Schneider also point to the sizeable debt financing the deal takes on: amounting to about $20 billion per Monday’s announcement. He notes that’s concerning news for video game developers, as it could result in more cuts.

“These changes in ownership are a very far distance from the people and studios who actually make games,” Schneider said. “Any direct impact will come in the form of what budgets are given to those studios and, downstream, which projects get cancelled or greenlit.”

EA has also already shuttered many game studios over the years. Just this past May, the company reportedly canceled the development of a video game based on Marvel’s “ Black Panther,” for example, as part of the closure of Cliffhanger Games.

Saudi’s PIF fund has many hands in the video game industry now. Why?

Among EA’s proposed buyers is Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF — which has increasingly upped its gaming investments. It already holds a 9.9% stake in EA, and is also a minority investor in fellow gaming giant Nintendo.

Van Dreunen explains that gaming in popular with younger audiences and the majority of people living in the country are under 30 years old (accounting for 63% of the population as of the kingdom’s 2022 census). That helps drive demand in a tech-forward industry that can also be “easily transported into a new location,” he adds.

Amanda Cote, an associate professor and director of the serious games certificate at Michigan State University, notes that the attempted EA acquisition is particularly in line with PIF’s recent moves in esports, with competitive gaming platforms like ESL FACEIT also among its portfolio today.

“EA’s game portfolio simultaneously aligns with Saudi Arabia’s expansions into sports, gaming, and esports,” Cote said, alluding to EA’s esports and sports properties like Madden Football and EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA).

At the same time, she also noted human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, have been highly critical of Saudi Arabia’s overall investments in sports and esports — with some accusing the nation of “sportswashing” to distract international attention. “This proposed deal is likely to face similar criticism,” Cote added.

Among the other notable names in the proposed buyout is Kushner.

The deal still needs shareholder and regulatory approval. Experts like van Dreunen expect there might be some regulatory pushback — perhaps not in the U.S., but from other consumer watchdogs globally.

Still, Baird Equity Research analysts noted Monday that the “connections to both the Saudi government and the Trump administration” may be “a strategic asset for EA in navigating any regulatory speed-bumps.”

Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report

DES MOINES — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this time.

“Combines are rolling all across Iowa,” said Secretary Naig. “The warm and dry weather is allowing farmers to make good progress on corn and soybean harvest. With the favorable weather expected to hold through next week, farmers should be able to continue making harvest headway, though conditions may be a bit dusty. As we get a little further into the start of October, outlooks are indicating a possible shift back to more chances of widespread rain.”

The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.

Crop Report

Dry conditions allowed 6.2 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 28, 2025, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. The warm temperatures also quickly advanced crop maturity. Fieldwork included harvesting corn and soybeans.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 5 percent very short, 22 percent short, 65 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition was 3 percent very short, 20 percent short, 70 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus.

Nearly all the corn was dented or beyond. Eighty percent of corn has matured, 4 days ahead of last year and 1 day ahead of the five-year average. The corn for grain harvest was 15 percent complete, 4 days ahead of last year and 3 days ahead of average. Moisture content of field corn being harvested for grain was 20 percent. Corn condition was rated 1 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 23 percent fair, 53 percent good and 18 percent excellent. Soybeans coloring was nearly complete at 95 percent. Eighty-three percent of soybeans were dropping leaves, 3 days ahead of last year and 2 days ahead of average. Soybean harvest was 17 percent complete, 3 days behind last year and the average.  Soybean condition rated 1 percent very poor, 4 percent poor, 22 percent fair, 55 percent good and 18 percent excellent.

Pasture condition rated 53 percent good to excellent.

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